Terror strikes tourism: Mass cancellation of Kashmir bookings in UP after Pahalgam attack

LUCKNOW Operators in Lucknow reported mass cancellation of Kashmir tour bookings following the Pahalgam terror attack that left of 26 people dead, most of them tourists. Calls from panicked clients flooded travel agencies across the state, with a significant impact being felt in Lucknow, where over 1,000 tour bookings were cancelled in a day.

Around 150 travel agencies in Lucknow were now facing mounting financial losses as several people from Lucknow and other parts of UP, whose bags were packed for a dream vacation to Kashmir, had either called off or indefinitely postponed their travel plans, said operators.

Hina Z Shiraz, chairperson of Travel Agents’ Association of India (TAAI), UP and Uttarakhand Chapter, confirmed that the cancellations dealt a massive blow to the industry, especially during what was shaping up to be a strong summer season. “Our business had started recovering post-Covid, especially after a promising 2023. The tourist footfall in Kashmir was finally rising. This attack has shaken tourist confidence,” she said.

Though May bookings were cancelled en masse, tour operators were still hopeful that the situation would stabilize in time to retain bookings for June and July, she added.

Kirti Srivastava, MD of Namaskar Travel Service, echoed similar concerns. “There are ripple effects of this attack. Today, I had to cancel bookings worth over ₹6 lakh.”

Sunil B Sataywakta, director of Civica Travels and former TAAI Chairman, stressed that over 1,000 bookings had been cancelled by city-based travel agencies. “This incident has come at the worst possible time — just when the tourism and hospitality sector was on the upswing after a long slump. In 2023, around 40,000 people went to Kashmir through tour operators of Lucknow. The figure was around 46,000 last year.”

To ensure safety of tourists already in the Valley, airlines have announced additional flights to facilitate the return of those wishing to leave Kashmir.

The UP unit of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) also faced uncertainty. It had two air travel packages for Kashmir - one group of 30 tourists left earlier this week and is currently in Kashmir, while another flight scheduled for Thursday is now under reconsideration.

“Our next flight to Kashmir was fully booked, but after the attack, most of the people have backed out.” We have called for a meeting with travellers. If they still wish to proceed, we won’t cancel the tour,” said AK Sinha, chief regional manager, IRCTC.

Many families, who had planned to visit Kashmir, are now opting for alternative destinations. Kishore Chaturvedi, a resident of Alambagh, said he planned to visit Srinagar and Pahalgam with his family on May 3. “After this attack, I don’t want to risk the safety of my family. We’ve cancelled the trip and will now go to South India instead,” he said.